Helping businesses attract and retain diverse talent
Helping businesses attract and retain diverse talent
Confidence is not a luxury in leadership – it is a necessity. And for women, especially those aspiring to step into or rise within leadership roles, it is one of the most transformative tools we can cultivate.
In the many years I’ve spent working with leaders across healthcare, academia, and global systems, I’ve seen the pattern time and again: talent is abundant, ideas are powerful – but confidence is often the missing link. Not because women are incapable or unqualified, but because we have been conditioned to question our authority, doubt our readiness, and wait for permission.
This article is a call to stop waiting. To recognise that confidence isn’t something you either have or don’t – it is something you build. And it is the foundation from which leadership takes root, grows, and thrives.
Let’s begin by dispelling a myth: a lack of confidence does not reflect a lack of ability.
Many of the most competent, thoughtful, visionary women I’ve worked with are also those who battle with self-doubt. They hesitate to speak in meetings, second-guess their decisions, or decline opportunities because they fear they are not “ready enough” – even when their track record proves otherwise.
This is the quiet presence of imposter syndrome, a phenomenon disproportionately affecting women in leadership – especially those who hold multiple marginalised identities.
Imposter syndrome whispers: “You’re not good enough.” “You’ve just been lucky.” “Soon they’ll realise you don’t belong here.”
It thrives in environments where representation is lacking, where achievement is expected but rarely affirmed, and where leadership models are based on dominance rather than depth.
But here’s the truth: you don’t need to become someone else to lead. You don’t need to silence your sensitivity or overcompensate with certainty. You need to develop self-trust and that begins with confidence.
Confidence influences how we communicate, make decisions, handle setbacks, and advocate – for ourselves and others.
In leadership, it becomes the anchor that allows us to:
Without confidence, our ideas stay silent. Our influence remains hidden. And our leadership impact is muted – not by ability, but by doubt.
This is why I’ll be speaking at a webinar on 25 June as part of a wider conversation on Nursing Efficiencies and Leadership. We’ll be discussing what it takes to make difficult decisions in high-pressure environments – especially for nurses navigating complex systems and limited resources.
Confidence doesn’t remove the weight of those decisions, but it helps us carry them. It helps us lead from clarity, not fear.
So how do we build confidence? Not as a façade, but as a deeply rooted inner resource?
Here are some approaches I recommend to the women I coach and mentor:
1. Reframe Fear as Growth Confidence is not the absence of fear, it’s the ability to act despite it. When we stretch ourselves, fear is a natural companion. Instead of seeing fear as a stop sign, see it as a signal: You are growing. Welcome it as evidence that you’re moving forward, not failing
2. Keep a Leadership Journal Document your successes, no matter how small. Record the conversations you led, the risks you took, and the praise you received. Over time, this becomes a library of proof – a counter-narrative to imposter syndrome. On difficult days, it reminds you of who you are.
3. Learn to Say No With Confidence Many women equate leadership with saying yes to everything. But boundaries are part of confidence. Saying no to what drains you allows you to say yes to what grows you. You don’t have to do it all – you have to do what matters.
4. Find Mirrors, Not Just Mentors Mentors offer guidance. But mirrors reflect your strength. Surround yourself with people who remind you of your power when you forget it. Build a support system that affirms your voice and challenges you to use it.
5. Practice Decision-Making Confidence grows through action. If difficult decisions feel overwhelming, start by practicing with smaller ones. Clarify your values, weigh your options, trust your judgement, and reflect on the outcome. Each decision builds the muscle of self-trust.
6. Speak Before You’re Ready You don’t need to wait for the perfect moment or the perfect words. Speak up in meetings. Share your perspective. Ask the question. Confidence is often built through doing, not waiting.
Representation matters. When women see other women leading with confidence, not bravado, but grounded presence, it redefines what leadership can be.
You don’t have to perform a version of leadership that was never made for you. You can lead with empathy. With clarity. With curiosity. With strength that doesn’t shout but stands.
Confidence is not about becoming someone else. It’s about coming home to yourself.
For nurses, for leaders in health and care, for women at every level of influence – this is our moment. Systems are shifting. Voices are being heard. And the space for women to lead not just in healthcare, but on healthcare, is growing.
But to step into that space fully, we need confidence in what we do, and in who we are.
Confidence is not about being certain. It’s about being centred.
Centred in your values. Centred in your voice. Centred in the belief that you belong at the table, even when you have to build the table yourself.
Leadership is not a destination; it is a practice. And confidence is the thread that carries us through its many seasons: the decisions, the doubts, the breakthroughs, the boldness.
So if you’re reading this wondering if you’re ready, this is your sign: you are.
And if you’d like to explore this further, join me on 25 June at the upcoming webinar on Nursing Efficiencies and Leadership: Making Difficult Decisions. It’s a space for honest conversation, practical insight, and collective confidence-building.